1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape pack ejecting mechanism for a tape player, and more particularly to a tape pack ejecting mechanism suitable for a thin-type tape player, which is capable of facilitating handling of a tape pack, especially unloading of the tape pack from the tape recorder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a tape player, such as a car tape player, adapted to load and unload a tape pack through an opening of the tape player formed at the front thereof, it has been difficult to make it as compact and thin in a vertical direction as theoretically desired a two-reel type tape pack, i.e., a so-called cassette-type tape pack, prevails today. To load and unload such a cassette-type tape pack into a tape player, it is necessary to engage reel drive members and a capstan with the tape pack inserted in a horizontal direction. For this reason, either the inserted tape pack must be lowered and raised or the deck on which the reel drive members are mounted, must be raised and lowered to engage the reel drive members and capstan with the pack. In either case, the distance and area of the movement of the lowering and lifting operation are considerably large, and therefore the operating mechanism and the entire structure of the tape player inevitably become large, especially in their vertical thickness. To obviate such disadvantages and to make the player more compact and thin, it has been proposed to insert the tape pack in a diagonal position and bring the tape pack inserted in the diagonal position into a horizontal position at the last stage of the tape pack insertion so as to engage the reel drive members with the tape pack. In accordance with this method, since the entire tape pack is not subjected to the up and down movement but only one end portion thereof is lifted and lowered, the amount and area of the movement is greatly reduced. A mechanism for carrying out such an operation, may include a pivotal means for accommodating such pivotal movement of the inserted tape pack. Thus, the entire mechanism of the tape player is simplified and the vertical thickness thereof is reduced. However, in such a tape player where the tape pack is inserted in a diagonal position, it is difficult to accomplish desired ejection of the tape pack in the eject operation of the tape pack due to such a diagonal loading and unloading arrangement. The known mechanisms for this purpose effect release of a lock lever from a pack receiving structure locked in a tilted or slanting position by a light push back of the tape pack by components interlocked with such release operation. Such light push back of the tape pack is not sufficient to easily take out the tape pack from the tape player.